Geodis has expanded its healthcare logistics footprint in the United States with the opening of a new cross-dock station and bonded facility near Chicago O’Hare International Airport, aimed at supporting both pharmaceutical imports and exports.
The new site spans 78,000 sq ft and includes a purpose-built 5,200 sq ft temperature-controlled area dedicated to short-term storage and specialised handling of pharmaceutical products.
That temperature-controlled section is divided into two separate zones. The first, measuring 4,600 sq ft, is designed for deep cold storage at 15 to 25 degrees Celsius and offers 27 ft of clear ceiling height. The second, covering 600 sq ft, is configured for true refrigerated storage, maintaining temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius.
Geodis said the location was selected specifically because of its close proximity to O’Hare International Airport, a major gateway for international cargo flows.
The company explained that the facility gives it end-to-end internal control over healthcare shipments as they move through the wider Geodis network, which spans 170 countries and includes an expanding portfolio of certified sites.
The Chicago branch is also a Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF) for exports and has secured IATA CEIV Pharma certification, confirming that its operations, equipment, staff and infrastructure meet the standards and regulatory requirements expected by pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Chicago is now one of four Geodis branches in the United States to hold the IATA certification, and notably the first to include cold chain storage capacity.
Josh Jungwirth, executive vice president of freight forwarding at Geodis Americas, said the opening of the company’s first dedicated healthcare cold chain cross-dock in the US underlines its commitment to protecting the integrity and effectiveness of life-saving products.
He said the combination of internal control and full visibility across a growing network of certified locations helps ensure these highly sensitive air and ocean shipments remain protected throughout the journey.
Jungwirth added that in healthcare logistics, the impact is particularly significant because every supply chain ultimately ends with a patient, making this Chicago facility an important milestone in Geodis’ ambition to be a trusted growth partner for customers requiring the highest standards of care.
Geodis already operates similar specialist cold chain facilities in France, the UK, the Netherlands and Germany.
